WASHINGTON (April 19, 2012)—The National Geographic Education Foundation last night awarded its Geography Legislator of the Year Awards to key congressional leaders for their commitment to making high-quality geography education available for all K-12 students, preparing young Americans for success. Recognized for their dedication to geography education were Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), Rep. Fred Upton (D-Mich.) and Rep. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii).

National Geographic Society Chairman Emeritus Gil Grosvenor presented the awards. Coons and Hirono were on hand to accept their awards and delivered remarks at a reception at National Geographic headquarters.

The presentation was made in conjunction with the National Geographic Education Foundation’s annual Hill Day, when representatives from local Geographic Alliances in each state visit Washington, D.C., to meet with their congressional representatives. This year, more than 84 alliance members from 47 states visited Capitol Hill to urge their members of Congress to support geography education in U.S. schools through the Teaching Geography is Fundamental (TGIF) Act.

About National Geographic Education
National Geographic Education is the educational outreach arm of the National Geographic Society. National Geographic Education brings the rich resources of the Society to its audience of educators and learners as part of its mission to prepare young people to care for the planet by creating educational materials for youngsters and the adults who teach them, conducting educational programs for educators and advocating for improved geographic education. Since the National Geographic Education Foundation was established in 1988, it has awarded more than $80 million in grants to support efforts to improve geography education in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit NatGeoEd.org.

NOTE: Images of the Geography Legislator of the Year Award event are available. Contact Kelsey Flora at (202) 823-8023 or kflora@ngs.org.